My Muse
by Pet Me Feed Me
Summary: She hasn't seen him in six years, but seventeen-year-old Hinata Hyuuga just can't seem to get over her childhood love. When he suddenly returns and sweeps her off her feet all over again, she has to wonder: in his eyes, is this still love? Or friendship?
1. The Day We Met

Hey guys! ODL is back again, and this time with a SasuHina. Every chapter in this story will be named after a song, and the reviewer who can tell me all of the artists gets a free one-shot! (I have my restrictions, of course, but when the winner…well…wins, they can decide!)

I will warn you that I listen to very obscure music at times, so googling might be a little tougher than you think. Like, there might be a bajillion people with the same song. I'll actually be very impressed if anyone can get this first one. :D

This is an AU. The main pairing, of course, is SasuHina. There'll also be KibaIno, eventual NaruSaku, and ItaTen. Yes, the last one is a bit…unique. I wanted to test myself.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. It would end being a sappy shoujo if I did. O_o (Cue the _SPARKLIES!!) *glitter glitter*_

**Chapter One: The Day We Met**

Hinata lay in the grass, counting the clouds that crossed the sky above her. The day was hot, one of the hottest of the year, and her mother had slathered her with sunscreen to keep her fair skin from burning and donned her with a large pink sunhat because "it looked cute." She had discarded the hat hours ago by the creek, but no amount of rubbing could wash away the oily feel of the sunscreen. Disgruntled but at ease, Hinata had ran to the tree.

The tree was a huge, looming figure with sprawling branches that were perfect for climbing and large, juicy apples that were good to eat. It was her only friend in this new place. It shaded her from the vicious sun, listened to her when she felt hurt, and dropped snow on her head in the winter. Its bark was rough under her skin and although Hinata knew it was only a plant, she sometimes dreamed that a kind, wandering spirit hid underneath the surface.

When her mother left her father, she had spirited Hinata off to this place, telling her that there were legions of kids she could play with, and that she would definitely see Neji-ni-san at least every week. But almost a year had passed, and not only had she not found any playmates, but her cousin had not visited her even once.

Restless, she stood, brushed off the seat of her shorts, and galloped back to the creek to retrieve her hat. When she reached it, however, her hat was gone. Fear rose quickly in her breast; mother had bought her that hat with some of the little money they had; she would be heartbroken if she knew it was lost. Hinata's shrewd eyes scanned the area, praying to catch it.

She did. Somehow, her hat had fallen off the bank and floated into the water, lingering somewhere in the middle. The water wasn't deep at all, and the creek was narrow, but the banks were about five feet high. She looked down, heart racing, and, taking a steady breath, stepped back. She was about four and something feet tall—how hard could a five-foot jump be? Bracing herself, she ran forward, about to leap, when something grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her back. She cried out in fear and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Are you stupid?"

Hinata turned to face her assailant, and she smiled in spite of herself. He was a boy, about her age, and she liked him immediately because he was cute and looked a bit like nii-san. He continued his tirade, unaware of the fact that she wasn't listening to him at all.

"If you jump down there, you'll break something!"

Hinata finally looked away. She pointed to the stream. "But my hat!"

His black eyes flashed angrily, but he looked in the direction she indicated anyway. At the sight of the flowery horror, he let out a bark of laughter.

"You were going to kill yourself over that ugly thing?"

Hinata knew the hat was ugly, but did he really have to say so? She yanked her arm away from him and stared forward defiantly.

"I-It is ugly. I want it back."

He regarded her carefully for a moment, and then sighed. "Girls are weird," he observed, and then said, "Follow me."

She did, and he led her just a little further along the creek. She saw an empty bucket, and, next to it, a long stick with a string and hook at the end. It was the crudest fishing rod she had ever seen, and seemed very out of place too, because there were no fish to catch.

He took his rod, made her move out of his ay, and swung it over to the hat. To her surprise, the hook snagged the scarf around the hat. He lifted it to safety.

"Here you go," he said when she stared at him dumbly. She hooked the hat and looked at him blankly for a moment.

"Thanks," she finally managed. She tilted her head to one side. "I haven't seen you before. Who are you?"

She knew she probably sounded a little rude, but he had called her weird, so there really was no need for niceties.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he answered. "I'm staying at my uncle's place for the summer," he added, as though explaining to her why an outsider like himself would have any reasons to be in their little town.

Hinata's mouth formed a round 'o' in understanding. "Well, I'm Hinata Hyuuga," she said, smiling. "Let's be friends, okay?"

She was very cute, and so he blushed. "No way. Why would I be friends with a girl?"

Her face fell suddenly, and she looked away, hurt. He blanched—she wasn't going to take him seriously, was she? Frowning, he crossed his arms and looked away.

"Look, I was kidding, okay?" he mumbled. "Stop looking so sad, stupid."

She sniffled. Had she actually started crying? When she looked up again, her face was slightly red and she looked horribly offended. She punched him on the shoulder with her little fist. "Y-you're mean!" she stammered indignantly.

He shrugged as though brushing off a compliment. "Hey," he suddenly said, "It's hot. Wanna come to my uncle's for ice cream?"

Normally, Hinata would decline—her mother had told her not to go into stranger's home and she hardly ever disobeyed her.

_Hardly _being the operative word.

"Sure," she said, and with no further ado, followed her new friend back to his house.

**

Summer passed by languidly, but too fast at the same time. The two could never be found very far from each other. They were inseparable, and Hinata dreaded the advent of Fall more than before. Mr. Uchiha had taken them to waterparks and carnivals, her mother had made them baskets and sent them on picnics. Sometimes, they would go together, the tall and smiling Uchiha and her lithe, quiet mother, and anyone who watched would have thought they were one family, going out on heartwarming adventures together.

Sasuke loved music. He showed her his massive CD collection (remarkable for someone who was only nine), much of which was filched from his uncle's media room. He adored his uncle, who, allegedly, could play forty different instruments proficiently, including the panpipes and the tuba. Sometimes, if he wasn't in a bad mood, he would sing with her—karaoke to some cutesy pop song—and she loved his little-kid voice and the way it could sometimes get so low it sounded like a rumble in his slim throat.

When the inevitable day came when Sasuke was to return home, he grabbed her hand in two of his and swore he would be back the next summer. His promise was as good as gold. The next year, she waited anxiously for his return, visiting his Uncle almost daily to ask when he was arriving. When he finally did, she grabbed him again, ecstatic, and they would begin from where they had left off.

The pattern continued for three years.

On the last day of the third year, Sasuke led Hinata to her tree. It had become his as well, and it stretched out its limbs to accept them both. They sat down, silent—something uncharacteristic for children of their age. She waited for those dreaded, inevitable words. For the "I'll be back next summer, Hina-chan, don't worry."

But this time, they didn't come.

Instead, she felt something soft and warm on her mouth, and when she opened her eyes with a start, realized that it was his lips.

He pulled away quickly, embarrassed, his cheeks glowing pink. She looked away as well, twiddling her thumbs together.

And then, he said it.

"I love you, Hina-chan."

And she had felt like melting, even though she wasn't so sure what love was and had no idea what to do next.

So she said the first thing that came to her mind, and it slipped out of her mouth so naturally that she knew it must have been right.

"I love you too, Sasuke-kun."

His hand curled in hers, his fingers moving against the soft palms as they looked up into the night sky.

"I won't be coming back," he said with a sigh.

She bolted upright. "What?"

He looked at her sadly and smiled. "Dad says I'm too old for these visits anymore. So I won't be coming back." She looked like she was about to cry—her eyes had widened into saucers and they were glistening with wet. He blanched. "We can still talk! I-I'll give you my phone number for home, and we can get emails and stuff!"

Hinata couldn't keep the tears from falling, but she kept up a brave face and looked at him carefully. "You promise you won't stop talking to me?"

He looked at her fiercely, and in his black, black eyes Hinata thought she could see a fire burning.

"Promise."

They linked pinkies tightly, and then fell back against the tree to count the stars that smiled down on them.

**

"Hinata-chan? Hel-lo?"

Ino waved her hand over her seemingly comatose friend's face. She quickly jumped to attention, and just then, those wonderful memories faded away and instead of being twelve and sitting happily under a tree with Sasuke, she was seventeen and sitting at a table with her three closest girlfriends, chatting and sipping frappuccinos.

"S-sorry!" Hinata stammered, blushing a little. "I was just—remembering something."

Ino lifted an eyebrow. "Are you in love, Hina-chan?" she asked mischievously. At the word _love, _Sakura and Tenten jumped to attention, forgetting their previous conversation and leaning in to hear Hinata's answer.

Hinata turned away, pursing her lips. Of course she was in love—she'd been in love for the past six years. But she couldn't very well tell them that she hadn't seen the guy since she was twelve. Besides, the feelings she still somehow harbored were so stupid. He had promised to keep in touch, but had stopped answering her emails over a year ago and didn't seem to have a Facebook. He must have moved or something, too, because his phone number no longer worked and she would always get an annoying, monotone, "_This line has been disconnected" _every time she tried it.

Looking the expectant girls in the eye one by one, she gritted her teeth and answered appropriately.

"No."

It was the only lie she had ever managed to tell convincingly. Almost simultaneously, all three girls leaned back into their seats, obviously disappointed. Ino shook her head, and then laid her hand carefully on Hinata's shoulder.

"Honey," she said slowly, trying to choose her words properly, "We have to tell you something."

Sakura and Tenten nodded, leaning again. Hinata had to stifle a laugh—the way they moved in unison was amusing.

"We're worried," Ino continued, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "Understand that, however you answer this, we will still love you just as much and won't ever judge you. Hinata…do you even _like _boys?"

Hinata froze in her seat, flushing redder with each passing second.

Sakura took her silence for a 'no' and slapped her hand on the table. "Oh gosh, Hinata! No! Don't tell me you like _girls_! That's such a loss to--!"

Hinata shook her head. "I like guys. I really do."

Tenten looked mildly concerned. "Hinata, how long have we known each other?"

Hinata looked down at her lap. She had met the brunette not long after Sasuke had left, and while she was probably the least vocal of her friends, Tenten was probably the most perceptive.

"Four years," she whispered. Tenten nodded.

"And in those four years," she said, "When we were all rushing into puberty, have you had a crush on a guy even once?"

Hinata pursed her lips and thought about it.

"Not once," Tenten finished her thought for her. "Sakura changed her crushes like we change our underwear, but you haven't liked someone even once."

Sakura made a face at Tenten, but nodded enthusiastically nevertheless. "It's bugging us because it almost seems…unnatural, you know? I mean, do you even think anyone is hot?"

Hinata tried to imagine what Sasuke's face would look like now, but found it impossible to age him in her mind. She shrugged.

"Not really, I think," she said, "I know all of the guys too well now to think _any _of them are hot…"

Someone walked by the table, and all of the girls looked up—it was Naruto—his blond hair wet from swimming, smiling widely. He really had gotten very attractive over the years—but he was still too gregarious and familiar for Hinata to feel the pull.

Sakura lowered her voice. "Not even him?" she asked, looking incredulous. When Hinata shook her head, she made a sound not unlike a hiss and clutched her head in her hands.

Ino drummed her fingers against the table quickly. As daughter of the school's principal _and _the superintendent of the district, she knew how to do everything—from sneaking into teacher's gradebooks to giving people she didn't like referrals—something she didn't do anymore since it bothered Hinata. But it also meant she was a valuable, babbling fountain of information…

"Well, check this," she said, smiling briefly up at the waiter as he gave them each their coffees, "There's a new kid coming to class tomorrow. Mom says he's drop-dead gorgeous, and I trust my mother's judgment—we can test him out on you, right? You say you only don't like them because you _know _them? Well, you won't know him!"

The other girls cooed at once in agreement, leaning forward again enthusiastically. Sakura gasped.

"It's perfect!"

Hinata hid her face in her hands. Knowing these girls, she knew, somehow, that tomorrow would _not _be fun.

**

The next morning, Ino burst into Hinata's bedroom, nearly sending the door ricocheting off its hinges. Hinata looked up drowsily and then collapsed back onto her pillow.

"Hinata, you lazy bum, get up! Today's the big day!"

When she still didn't respond, Ino stepped forward and swept off her blanket. The cold hit Hinata directly, and, with a yelp, she jolted awake—grumpy, but wide-eyed nonetheless.

"How did you even get in?" Hinata groaned, throwing her legs over the side of her bed.

Ino pursed her lips. "Your mom let me in," she said. She pulled Hinata to her feet and pushed her toward her bathroom. "But that's beside the point."

She waited, pacing, while Hinata showered, and the moment she was out proceeded to molest her.

"I don't understand you, Hina," she purred, eyeing Hinata's betoweled body with undisguised hunger, "you've got awesome boobs but you're constantly hiding them." She leaned forward seductively, pressing her cleavage together. "You should tease those boys a bit, don'cha think?"

Hinata blanched and then looked away. "N-no. I couldn't." She pulled her towel around her like a tarp and slipped on her underwear. Stepping into her closet, she began pulling out her customary turtleneck and jeans combo when Ino reached out and knocked her hands away.

"Ino--!"

Ino grinned devilishly, reaching into her sequined tote for something. "Hush, hush. I'm dressing you up today, hon."

Hinata scowled. "Why?"

Ino gasped, mock-offended. "Erm? Hello? Sexy new kid?"

Hinata wrinkled her nose. "Your _mother _thinks he's sexy."

Ino stared off into space dreamily, a light blush alighting her cheeks. "He stopped by at the office after school yesterday. Ohmigosh, Hina, I almost had a heart attack, or died from bloodloss, or whatever. He. Was. Gorgeous." She stretched out the last word into as many syllables as she could. "And even better… he's eighteen and he's moved out. Zero parentals."

Hinata sighed. "Why don't you go for him, then?"

Ino wrinkled her nose, actually affronted by her statement. "Um… 'cause I've got Kiba?"

Hinata had to agree—Kiba was the only guy out there who could match Ino in obnoxiousness as well as intelligence—they were made for each other. Hinata blanched. Out of the group, only she and Sakura were really single, and Sakura had finally started answering Naruto's calls for dates (After all, he was getting hotter by the minute; the swim team was doing wonders to his body).

Again, Hinata sighed aloud, and then finally addressed the problem that was _really _bothering her.

"Ino-chan, what if…I-I'm not pretty enough?"

Ino's mouth dropped, but once Hinata started spouting her insecurities, she couldn't very well stop.

"I mean, no guy has ever liked me before—why should he?"

_There's nothing even special about me._

Suddenly, Ino grabbed Hinata by the shoulders and shook her violently.

"Hina! You. Are. So stupid!"

With a huff, she let her go, and then whipped out the clothes while Hinata tried to recover her balance—a blue and black plaid, pleated miniskirt, a short sleeved white polo, and a low vest that tucked right under the breasts. Hinata sighed, half-relieved. Ino wasn't a slut, but she was skinnier than Hinata and most of the clothes that looked cute on her made the curvier Hinata look like a total skank.

Abruptly, Ino shoved them upon her. "What are you doing? Get dressed!"

Hinata obeyed, carefully avoiding Ino's stare as she hoisted her skirt to her waist.

**

Hinata could feel their stares from the moment she entered the school that day. So she had worn make-up and shown a little more skin than usual. That shouldn't warrant all of this attention…

Of course, Ino's booming voice, announcing proudly that she was the mastermind behind the transformation, didn't exactly help her lie low. To make matters worse, all of her other girls had already seen the new guy, and she wouldn't until fifth period, after lunch.

HInata rubbed her temple, ignoring her open bento for the most part. Fifteen minutes into lunch, and Sakura, Tenten and Ino were still tittering happily about the new kid, cooing about everything that could possibly be found as attractive in the male figure.

"Do you guys even know his name?" she hissed, annoyed.

The three girls looked at each other expectantly. Ino shrugged. "Something-suke. Honestly, I wasn't really listening…"

"He didn't talk much, so…"

"Yea, and you know, I don't think anyone could focus enough to listen to anything after seeing a face like that…"

"Oh my god, did you see his ass?"

Hinata stood up, effectively annoyed. "You don't even know his name?" she looked pointedly at Ino, who shrugged.

"Chill, Hina. You'll find out next period anyway!"

Hinata stomped her foot on the ground, an old childish habit she'd never managed to shake off. "You know every detail about his freaking anatomy, but not his name? Is he a piece of meat?"

If she had been thinking a little more clearly, she would have anticipated Ino's answer and known that her scolding would fall flat.

"Of course," she said brightly, "Sexiest slice o' ham I've seen in my entire life."

At this, the other girls burst into laughter, and, silenced, Hinata slid back into her seat and stared at her bento as though it were the least appetizing thing she'd ever laid her eyes on.

*

By fifth period, Hinata came to a rather anticlimactic conclusion—she could care less about this new kid, regardless of how clearly you could see his abs through his shirt (just barely, when he moved a certain way, according to Sakura). He would probably end up being another pretty face, another empty-headed moron who lived like a pimp throughout high school and crashed and burned in the real world. Hinata had certainly seen enough of _those _to last her a lifetime.

She started doodling in her notebook, not even looking up as the new kid sauntered in, ignoring the fact that the whole room had fallen silent. She focused intently, instead, on her picture.

Distantly, she could hear Kurenai-sensei stammer, "P-please welcome our new student…"

Hinata sketched in her character's hair and filled it in to a solid, even, black, pressing her eraser to her lips.

"…Sasuke Uchiha."

**A/N: **Oooo! Cliffy! I woulda kept going, but this was riding on ten pages and I was a little hesitant to make it much longer… hope you like!

Btdubs… Read and Review! I'm not giving up on _Forever Elusive, _so don't you worry, guys! :D


	2. All Around Me

**A/N: **Thanks for all of the nice reviews! I'm sure they'll keep me moving forward in this story…

No one guessed the first song? Hrmph. :P No ficcies for you then, less work for me, ne?

Anywhooz, just so you know, this will be a tiny bit of a band fic. Nobody is famous or will get famous (yet) and I'm making them sing just because I think the emotional connection is really strong that way. Not so I can have a million girls as Hinata's rivals chanting out Sasuke-kun's name. :D

**Disclaimer: **One way to check whether ODL has taken over Naruto? See whether Sasuke and Hinata have started giving each other da bedroom eyes. :B

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**Chapter Two**

**The Walk **

Hinata's pencil dropped abruptly from her hand, rolling somewhere behind her. Without knowing exactly how she'd gotten there, she found herself on her feet.

He turned to look at her, and she knew that her friends certainly hadn't been exaggerating as much as she had assumed. He really was beautiful—his messy black hair hung before his dark, bottomless eyes, and he was tall and toned, masculine while somehow remaining… _pretty. _

After a moment of blank staring, his brow furrowed.

"Hi…na…-chan?" he said slowly, sounding unsure of himself. She smiled dumbly; her throat felt thick. Even his voice was beautiful, exactly as she'd remembered it, with the same cadence and tone, except deeper.

And then he started crossing the room purposefully, ignoring the bewildered looks the rest of the class was giving him. When he reached her, he threw his arms open, inviting her. She smiled even more widely and dove in for a tight hug.

"Okay, guys. Nice that you've been reunited," Kurenai drawled, "But. I have a lesson to teach, and you have a test in three days. So save your reintroductions for later, right?"

Hinata nodded fervently and sat down, so elated that she didn't even think of being embarrassed. Sasuke took a seat behind her and didn't speak a word for the rest of class. She turned a few times to look at him sneakily, to look at how much he had changed. He had lost all of the baby fat, but still managed to somehow look soft to the touch, and now his face seemed to have more shape. When he grinned, there were little indents in his cheeks that were almost dimples, but not quite. His clothes were simple and slightly rocker-esque, not baggy and not entirely form-fitting either—a black and red t-shirt from some band and dark-wash jeans. Her heart stuttered in her chest.

How long had she dreamed of this? Of course, in her mind the meeting had been much more ostentatious—they would find each other in the flowery meadow surrounding their tree, and share a kiss a little less innocent than the first, hidden from the rest of the world by low-hanging limbs and the darkness of night. Of course, she'd also been half-expecting something awkward—that she'd see him somewhere and run up to him excitedly, only to be met with a leery glare and a "Who the hell are you?"

She grinned and nestled her chin into her hand, suddenly thanking Ino to high heavens for taking charge. This was perfect. He remembered her. He hugged her. He had felt so warm and hard and broad that she thought she could've melted right against him.

The bell rang, interrupting her thoughts, and she swooped down to grab her binders and quickly swung around to face him, not even trying to hide her happiness.

"I can't believe it," she breathed truthfully, and then gestured down his body. "I mean, look at you!" She laughed, feeling giddy. He raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks, I think," he said, and then after a second of silent appreciation, added, "You aren't so bad yourself, Hina."

She blushed and walked with him out of the classroom. A few girls were still throwing him awed looks, virtually ignoring her. She didn't care. Her heart felt like bursting. Six years. She'd dreamed of this for six years, and here he was, walking beside her, as naturally as if they saw each other everyday. She had so many questions to ask him. So many that she didn't even know where to start.

So she panicked and picked the wrong one. "Why didn't you answer my mail?"

The moment she said it she colored red and felt like kicking herself. She wasn't supposed to start this with confrontations, not yet. She could already feel the chill of his silence. She felt her eyes start to well up—he probably hated her now. Probably wanted nothing to do with her. Desperately, she turned to him and bowed quickly.

"U-um! Sasuke, you really don't have to answer that! What matters most is that you're here now… and we can start over, right?"

She allowed herself to peek up, only slightly aware of the pleading in her eyes.

"Which way are you going?" he asked. She pointed to the left. He looked at his scheduele, and then, looking a little more relaxed, added, "Which way am _I _going?"

She couldn't help but smile. "Same way, I think."

He nodded and gestured for them to continue walking. She matched his strides with some difficulty, but in her chest, her heart was fluttering like a bird. She felt proud walking next to him, special. She wondered whether he remembered the last words he'd spoken to her and whether they still rang true for him the way they did for her. She looked down, knowing how unlikely this was. After all, he was a really good-looking guy, and she'd be surprised if was still a virgin, let alone not in a relationship.

He caught her eye coyly. "Got something else you wanna ask?"

Hinata colored pink. _No way I'm going to ask him that! _"Erm," she started, and then smiled. "Do you still sing?"

It was his turn to smile. "Yea," he heaved. "I still sing."

"Can…can I listen? Someday?"

He reached out and ruffled her hair. "Maybe."

She grinned, ecstatic, and blabbered on. "I bet you and your uncle sound awesome together!"

At this, Sasuke's smile stiffened, snuffed out from his eyes. She winced, immediately knowing she had said something wrong. But _what_…?

"He's dead. The last time I saw him was the last time I saw you."

Hinata gaped in horror. "Madara-san is dead? What? When?"

Sasuke shrugged, but the nonchalance was obviously only surface-deep. "Two months."

HInata touched his arm gently, and then quickly withdrew—what if he didn't want to be touched? What if he shirked her pity?

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged again. "You don't have to be, unless you killed him." When she gave him a horrified look, he snorted. "He had cancer, you dork."

That didn't sit well with her either. They walked forward in relative silence.

"Can I ask a tough question?" Hinata said softly.

Sasuke smirked. "Have any of your questions been _easy _so far?"

She pursed her lips, showing just how much she didn't appreciate his teasing.

"Why are you suddenly back?" She didn't add that she knew he wasn't with his father—Ino's information was supposed to be confidential and he'd definitely know she had been snooping if she brought it up.

He looked at her darkly, his obsidian eyes unreadable. The corners of his lips twitched in a could-be smirk. "

"How about…" he drawled, "Today, after school, we go over to your house. I don't really think this is the time and place, neh?"

Her cheeks tinged pink at the thought of grownup Sasuke sitting at her white desk, sprawled across her burgundy sheets, emerging half-naked from her bathroom—but then she remembered that they'd be much more likely to lounge in the living room (And that he would definitely not randomly feel like showering while he was there.)

"Y-yeah, that'd be better, right?" she looked awkwardly to her right, spying her classroom, and, to her eternal chagrin, a stupidly grinning Ino. "I'm here, Sasu-kun."

His nose wrinkled with amusement. "I forgot you called me that, HIna-chan."

She stuck her tongue out at him and they parted ways. The moment she entered the classroom, Ino pounced.

"Oh my gosh, Hinata. You…you did it!""

Hinata rolled her eyes. "I know him, Ino."

Ino's jaw dropped. "You know him?" She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, looking offended. "Um, why haven't you introduced us?'

Hinata stepped into the classroom; people were trying to squeeze past and were shooting them dirty looks in the process. "I haven't seen him in six years."

Ino laughed, and then slapped Hinata cheerfully on the back. "This is soo lucky. I can just see it—an old friendship kindles new love. You two look good together already."

Hinata smiled stupidly, wondering whether they actually did or if Ino was just blowing hot air. "He's coming over today, actually."

Ino's face seemed to freeze solid before thawing into elation. "You're kidding."

Hinata shook her head profusely, secretly proud of herself. "Nope."

At that moment, a loud voice interrupted their conversation. "Oh, _damn, _Hinata!"

Hinata whipped around to find Kiba bent over sideways, trying to peek under her skirt. She shrieked and clutched it closer to herself, mortified.

"Kiba, you baka!" she yelled, flustered, "Don't you even see that your girlfriend is standing right here?"

Kiba grinned, gave Hinata a one-armed hug, and then lunged at his girlfriend. She squealed, and he responded with a series of very public love-bites along her neck.

"Just admiring my baby's handiwork, hon. Don'cha know that you're the only girl who can really start my engine?"

Ino turned bight pink and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before shoving him away. The second their hips were no longer touching, she had his hand in hers, and they walked over to their desks together.

"Hey, Hinata," Kiba said suddenly, "We're practicing at your place today, right?"

Hinata nodded. "Hn. J-just…make sure that you keep the bass low today."

Kiba lifted a brow. "Momma Hyuuga gets headaches from it, or what?"

Chuckling, she shook her head. "No. I need to do my homework, that's all."

They sat down at once, spinning in their seats to face each other again. "Sucks, cuz we still can't find a singer. I mean, I rock ass on the guitar, and Shika and Naruto've got the bass and drums down pat, but none of us can sing worth a crap, you know?" He leered at her a bit. "Since, you know, _you _won't do it."

Hinata turned away, flushed. They'd had this conversation so many times. "My voice doesn't suit…your…genre."

His expression became serious. "You're the only one who thinks that."

She looked away, slightly embarrassed to be letting him down, but she didn't want to get pushed into this. Her singing was mostly a secret—she did it at home when she thought no one was around, and her voice, by no means, would mesh well with the alternative rock Kiba's crew liked to blast. Unfortunately, one day he'd come to her house early for practice (none of _their _parents allowed them to practice at their houses, but Momma Hyuuga had been more than accommodating) and caught her red-handed on the piano. He'd never left her alone since.

"Kiba, baby," Ino whispered, "Another time, 'kay?"

He scowled briefly, and then wagged his head. Ino leaned over and squeezed his hand.

"Fine," he hissed. He pointed at Hinata. "Don't think I'm letting you off the hook."

Ino slapped the back of his head and pointed forward, and he reluctantly turned away. She leaned over again and mussed his hair; he laughed and his expression softened. Hinata watched them enviously—it was as though they couldn't bear not to touch each other for too long. She knew that Ino was as much a blushing virgin as she was, so it wasn't a sexual thing, she didn't think. But even now, sitting in their seats, it looked as though they couldn't help but touch every few seconds. It was like they were assuring each other that what they had was _real. _

Hinata sighed and tried to absorb herself in the lesson.

**

Her heart pounded in her chest all the way home. She had found Sasuke in the halls just before they had walked their separate ways and told him that she still lived in the same house. She handed him the address and then ran from him before she could be pulverized by the jealous stares thrown their way, and then drove home like a speed demon.

'Momma Hyuuga' wasn't home from work by the time she got home, and in a flash, she found herself at her piano. There was very little that kept her calm, and her Kawai Baby Grand piano was one of them. Her mother had given it to her two years ago as a birthday present, and she cared for it like a zealous mother would a spoiled child.

The keys dipped under her light caresses, singing out notes that went from flowing to jumping. Hinata exhaled slowly and jotted a few notes onto the pad on her lap. She tapped out a few experimental keys and then abruptly changed scales. It sounded better in E minor anyway, she decided, and then flipped a few pages over to her poem.

This was always the hardest part for her—matching her words to the music. The jumping, lilting notes were not intended for vocals; they were accompaniments, added to give the music flavor and substance, not melody. She knew that most artists came up with the tune early on, but she'd never managed to do so, and besides, this was only a hobby.

Hesitantly, she started singing, matching the notes as she went, barely dusting the piano with her fingertips.

"You should lock your front door," a voice said.

Startled, Hinata pressed a false note that resounded through the halls. She cringed, and then she turned in her chair to give Sasuke a small smile. She clutched her notebook fiercely, as though she was scared he'd try and take it.

He noticed, and cocked his head toward it. "You write?"

Her face turned slightly pink, and she looked down into her lap as though it were the most interesting thing in the world. "Yes, but I can never match it to the music right…"

He held out his hand. She stared at it for a moment, confused, but then he motioned toward her book. She gave a little squeal and held it closer.

Sasuke scowled. "What, are you hiding naked pictures of me in there or something?"

Hinata turned an even brighter pink at the thought and thrust it at him as though to prove that she was doing nothing of the sort. She waited, a blush rushing to her face as he read, and she remembered just a little too late the nature of her lyrics.

He read them in silence for a moment as she looked up at him shyly, twiddling her thumbs.

"Play it," he demanded. She didn't think to protest, just turned to the piano and played her composition.

He pursed his lips and said, "Again."

She obeyed, but this time, after a few measures, started to sing.

Her heart felt like it was going to burst. His voice was beautiful, unique—it had a certain twang to it that she couldn't quite identify. She listened carefully, eyes closed, as he sang her words, those words that she longed for him to say for real someday. Her hands seemed to glide effortlessly over the keys, propelled by his voice. He matched the words to the music so perfectly—it sounded so real, the feeling in it so raw, that the moment he stopped, she felt her eyes start to well up.

"Sasuke," she whispered, "That was—that was perfect. So perfect!"

He grinned down at her and mussed her hair. "Your lyrics are moving, and you know your piano. I only added the vocals."

She wagged her head fervently. "No! You did more!" Her eyes were ice-fire now, almost seeming to glow blue in their fervor. "You added _feeling _to it! And…And gosh, Sasuke… you can sing!"

He scoffed, and then sat down next to her. She blanched at his proximity, and then he lifted a hand to gently brush a scale across the keys.

"So," he said slowly, "Who's the lucky guy?"

She started. "What?"

He shrugged, grinning. "Kids like us don't pull our lyrics out of nowhere. You have to feel what you're writing, otherwise it comes out contrived."

She clamped her lips shut—of course he was referring to her unabashedly lovesick lyrics. "There's no one."

He lifted a brow skeptically, and she found the one lie she had ever managed to say convincingly shattering at his gaze.

"Well…There is someone I like…" she admitted, absentmindedly plucking a few notes.

"Ah," he said, "you haven't tol him?"

She turned red at the very thought and looked at him pointedly. _How dense is Sasuke-kun?_

"Baka!" hse said, flustered. "I'll never tell!"

He was silent for a moment, touching the keys on the other side of the piano. "You know, if you don't tell, you won't ever know. You'll wonder forever whether that person would have accepted you."

She stared at him with wide eyes and bit her lip. _He wouldn't say that if I still like him…_

It sounded impossible even to herself. They hadn't seen each other in so long. They'd both become different people—even if she did think she hadn't changed much. He seemed…so much more distant now, charming, yes, but distant.

Awkwardly, she cleared her throat, and then gave him a soft, half-hearted smile.

"Maybe someday, I guess."

******

**A/N: **A reviewer very bluntly told me to stop being an arse and update already, and since I had this chapter roosting on my laptop, I decided to. Everybody thank the anonymous, aptly named Can't be arsed to sign in2312 () for finally jolting me to reality and reminding me about this fic. THANK YOU!!!


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